Ramblings concerning things that really do not matter

Solitary

January 25, 2010

I’ve always liked Sayid as a character. He’s sort of like the midway point between Jack and Locke. He will think about things logically, but he also has faith when the island shows him things. This is his first centric episode, and it begins the portrayal of Nadia in the flashbacks. It’s also the episode where Rousseau is introduced, and Alex is spoken about. All in all, even though the subplot is Hurley building a golf course, a lot does happen in this episode.

This is the first confirmed indication that the survivors are not alone on the island. It’s also the introduction of Ethan Rom, who figures heavily into the plot very soon. And it’s also the first reference to the whispers in the jungle, as well as the Black Rock and the supposed sickness. And finally, Rousseau mentions the firing pin on the gun that had been removed when she shot Robert, and this is finally shown in the fifth season.

This entry is going to be shorter than the others. Not that I might not have a lot to say about it, but I watched it last night and almost immediately fell asleep. I read the transcript before I began writing, but there’s just not a lot to say about it.

Island mythology: 8.25 out of 10. The whispers, the Black Rock, the others, the monster, and the “sickness” are all referenced. Sayid also finds the power cable leading into the ocean, which will bear fruit in Season 3. This is almost more in one episode than there’s been since the pilot.

Philosophical concepts/themes: 2.5 out of 10. Sawyer references heaven and a guilty conscience, and Sayid needs to make a decision between job (duty/honor) and a woman that he is growing to love. Of course, this is choice and its repercussions.

Character development: 7 out of 10. Sayid’s background as an interrogator is shown, the origin of Nadia’s picture is revealed, and in the golf sub-plot, Sawyer makes the decision to join the group, a small step towards acceptance on his part. It is obviously ironic that in the flashback, Sayid is the one torturing for information, and in present day, he is the one being tortured for the same purpose. Mainly, though, we can see why Sayid had such a problem interrogating Sawyer in the previous episode, and why he needed to be on his own for a while.

Importance of episode to series: 7 out of 10. A lot of groundwork is laid in this episode for things that will pay off later, sometimes seasons later. Most of this is mentioned above.

Personal enjoyment of episode: 7 out of 10. A good, solid episode. Not among the top tier, but definitely not filler, either. I just picked up on the “See you in another life, if not this one” on the back of the photograph. Of course, this is very similar to Desmond’s famous line starting next season.